Feds hear earful on wolf plan
WILDFLIFE:The federal government’s plan to give states control of timber wolves is drawing mixed reactions.
BY JOHN MYERS
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
ASHLAND – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is getting two divergent viewpoints on what to do with timber wolves.
One says drop federal protections as soon as possible and let states, farmers, trappers and hunters keep wolf numbers in check.
The other says wolves need continued federal protections, especially in Eastern states, to avoid the historical persecution that humans have leveled on the big predators for generations.
On Wednesday night, the service brought its series of public hearings on what to do with wolves to the Northland, where testimony generally fell along predictable lines. More than 100 people attended the meeting at the Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center.
There’s no question that wolves in the Great Lakes region have recovered beyond most everyone’s expectations. By 1974, when the Endangered Species Act began protecting wolves, they had been wiped out of the region except for a remnant population of about 500 in the Superior National Forest and Isle Royale. Now, there are about 2,500 wolves in Minnesota, nearly 400 in Wisconsin and nearly 400 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — more than double the number called for in the government’s 1970’s-era wolf recovery plan.
The federal government says that’s a success story for the Endangered Species Act and that wolf management now can be handed back to state resource agencies and tribal governments and the wolf taken off the endangered species list to free up federal resources to protect more needy critters.
“It’s time to make the move. The recovery goals have been met,” said Ron Refsnider, a biologist who heads the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s de-listing efforts for Eastern wolves.
Some say there are too many wolves, that they are expanding too much into agricultural areas, killing livestock and even pets. There have been 21 confirmed cases of wolves attacking livestock across northern Wisconsin so far this year, state Department of Natural Resources officials say. Others say wolves are killing too many deer and that wolf numbers should be culled.
For Jeff Crom of Glidden, delisting wolves can’t come soon enough.
“You’re too late with this. They’re out of control in Ashland County…. Whoever does your counting is way off. There are 400 wolves in Ashland County alone,” said Crom, whose pet dog was killed by a wolf this month. “I’m not against wolves. But when you see them walking down the main street in downtown Glidden, something’s wrong.”
One bear hunter, who had two dogs killed by wolves in August, held up color photographs of several bear dogs killed by wolves. He also brought the carcass of a dead dog, hauled in a suitcase. Fish and Wildlife officials asked that he not open the suitcase in the building, and he complied.
Wolf supporters, however, say society hasn’t come far enough from the days of bounties, poisoning wolves and blowing up wolf dens. They say federal protections will ensure the animal’s continued abundance.
“I’m leery of the state taking over the wolf program…. The state doesn’t have the personnel to manage wolves,” said Roger Anderson of Brule. “I’m not in favor of delisting.”
Other wolf supporters favor delisting wolves in the Great Lakes states where they have clearly recovered, but oppose the federal government’s current plan because it also removes federal protections in New England states, where few — if any — wolves exist. Wolf supporters say federal protections should remain in those states so the animals can reclaim at least part of their historic range in the East.
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan already have state wolf management plans in place, anticipating federal action. Those plans call for more liberal wolf killing, such as when farmers see wolves attacking livestock or pets. They also could allow for some sport hunting or trapping. But they stop short of calling for widespread wolf killing and won’t attempt to reduce wolf numbers, at least for now.
Now, only federal trappers can kill wolves suspected of causing problems near farms or homes. In Minnesota, more than 150 wolves are trapped and killed each year.
In July, the government announced its plan to take wolves off the Endangered Species List after years of delays. After public hearings are complete, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will draft its final plan in summer 2005. Even then, it’s likely that lawsuits will slow or stop the process and prevent any speedy move to state wolf control. Already, lawsuits in Oregon and New Hampshire have been filed, challenging the government’s 2003 move to reduce wolf protections from endangered to threatened. Those lawsuits could culminate early in 2005.
“We hope to have it completed by next summer. But the litigation already has slowed us down and, because they are considering the same issues, it’s going to have a big impact on the effort to delist,” Refsnider said.
Recent public hearings also have been held in Bemidji, Virginia, Madison and Wausau, and one last regional hearing is set for Oct. 6 in Bloomington, Minn. The public comment period ends Nov. 18.